First Impressions of San Francisco

The sky filled with the first rays of morning light as my plane made its descent into San Francisco. As the plane landed, my eyes reflected the rolling hills that meet the Pacific Ocean, it was one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. After a quick taxi ride from SFO airport, I was met with the bumper to bumper traffic of the downtown core. I did not mind it though as it gave me time to absorb all the new sights. It was interesting, I

expected that San Francisco would have been very beige like LA but it really was the opposite - vibrant with life, with a beautiful mix of modern and European influenced architecture. I could not wait to get settled into the historic Palace Hotel and then get out exploring.

I connected over social media with photographer Rey @minna.sixth before I came to the West Coast. I was so excited to meet this multi-talented man and have him show me his perspective of the city. Rey wears many hats, which I can relate to, and woks as a photographer, fashion enthusiast and community artist. From my hotel we went on an adventure to Pier 7, which would be the backdrop of our photoshoot together. Despite the pending rain overhead, we were excited to create together. At the docks of Pier 7 there is the most beautiful view of the Bay bridge. I was hoping to see some sea lions lounging about but I guess that will have to wait until my next trip back. As we were shooting, the sky decided to open up and give us some beautiful filters for our photoshoot. I love that were able to keep pushing through the weather and I think we captured some beautiful shots.

Here are my first impressions of San Francisco.

• The people are extremely friendly. I could not believe how many strangers I bonded with on the street that had to stop me and compliment me on my style. Even the lady at Starbucks who referred to me as Fashion Jesus every morning brightened my day with her excitement at 8:30 am when i strutted in.

• The seafood was beyond fresh, I could not stop eating it every day. I basically was on the borderline of overdosing on it by the end of my trip but I seriously could not get enough. I grew up on the ocean but not every coastal city has fresh, good seafood so I was super excited that San Francisco really knows its seafood.

• It's the city of the flat footed. I could not believe the lack of high heels on the streets while i was visiting. I mean my feet now understand why, as it is a city where you basically are always walking up or down hill all day. I had an extreme workout wearing heels all week as it was the only thing I packed.

• Wearing layers is a must in San Francisco. The weather was really all over the place. One second it was warm and sunny the next the wind would pick up and you would be freezing. That being said, it was my ideal weather as you can serve layers and not be dying of heat stroke.

• FREE WIFI EVERYWHERE. I could not believe that San Francisco offers free fast wifi on the streets, it was amazing. I was scared that my social media addiction was going to be limited during my trip but I was able to always stay connected. It was amazing.

I can't wait to return some day soon and explore the city even more. I had such an incredible five days there and I feel like there is so much more to discover. If you have any suggestions of places to eat, boutiques to visit or hidden treasures to explore, please let me know in a comment below